Jammin' With Jay At 105.9

RADIO - Radio waves

February 18, 2000|By Jim Abbott of The Sentinel Staff

A face familiar from TV will become a voice familiar to Orlando radio listeners next month - at least, that's the plan at Power 105.9 FM (WOCL).

Jay Thomas, who was in the TV sitcoms Murphy Brown, Love & War, Mork & Mindy and Cheers, will be the morning host at the Jammin' Oldies station owned by AMFM Inc., although he won't relocate to Orlando. WOCL, which is ironing out final details on the deal, will simulcast the morning show that Thomas launched in December for 105.1 FM (WTJM), a New York Jammin' Oldies station also owned by AMFM.

The target debut date in Orlando is March 20.

``It just seemed like a perfect fit,'' said WOCL program director Burke Allen, who says the show will be heavy on celebrity interviews and entertainment features. ``He's going to do it from New York, and we'll frame it up as sort of like a Today show type of thing.''

The decision is a major move for WOCL, which has yet to establish itself in the mornings since former sex-talker Erin Somers' inauspicious six-week stint last summer. Currently, ``Banana Joe'' Montione is hosting via telephone lines from yet another AMFM station playing Motown, disco and 1970s soul in Dallas.

Although Allen has two boxes of resumes and tapes in his office, the station decided that Thomas' name recognition was too tempting to resist. He also comes with radio experience, having hosted successful morning shows in New York and Los Angeles before embarking on his TV career.

Going for a national name rather than a locally based show is a calculated risk, says one industry observer.

``There are markets where it has worked great and markets where people have said, `Big deal,''' said Sean Ross, an editor at industry trade journal Airplay Monitor. ``WOCL does get a national brand name, which works to their advantage.''

It also should be interesting to see how the focus on celebrity interviews affects The Scott & Erica Morning Show on WOCL's sister station 105.1 FM (WOMX). Scott & Erica regularly chat with TV stars and musicians, such as former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, who is scheduled to visit next Friday morning.

Are there enough celebs to go around?

Love Lines disconnected. Certainly, no one needs love advice after an emotionally fulfilling Valentine's Day this week.

What? It wasn't that great?

Well, you better hurry if you want help from Love Lines, the radio version of MTV's advice show hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky and Adam Corolla.

The show will exit the late-night lineup at 104.1 FM (WTKS) on March 6 to make way for the syndicated Phil Hendrie Show, out of 640 AM (KFI) in Los Angeles. Hendrie's show will air from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays, then from 5 to 9 a.m. Saturdays and from 6 to 9 a.m. Sundays.

The fortysomething Hendrie, whose career has included stops in Orlando and Miami, specializes in satirizing talk radio. Most of the guests and callers are actually voice impressions culled from Hendrie's imagination.

``I think it fits the nuttiness of Real Radio,'' said Chris Kampmeier, vice president of programming for Clear Channel Communications' six Orlando stations, including WTKS.

Low ratings contributed to Love Lines' demise, he said.

Hendrie's spot on the station's weekend lineup will coincide with an expansion of The Best of The Monsters of the Middays from three to five hours. Best of will air from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

That means eight fewer hours of music each weekend, folks.

Kampmeier said the station had to carry Henrie on the weekends to fulfill his syndication contract. The other option would have been to shorten Drew Garabo's weeknight show by an hour each day.

``We didn't want to cut Drew's show,'' Kampmeier said.

Here's hoping they don't want to cut any more music either.

XL-ent finish. Top 40 106.7 FM (WXXL), on the power of such crossover acts as Shania Twain and Lonestar, finished ahead of country stalwart K92 FM - 92.3 FM (WWKA) - among all listeners in fall Arbitron ratings released this week.

Irreverent talk-station WTKS dropped from first to fourth among all listeners, with 580 AM (WDBO) up one spot to third.

Rounding out the Top 5 was Smooth Jazz 103.1 FM (WLOQ), which vaulted from 12th to fifth.

A few significant story lines: The Scott and Erica Show on WOMX tied for first among adult listeners with The Howard Stern Show on WTKS.

Also, Jim Philips relinquished the top spot among adults in the afternoons, finishing behind music-oriented WXXL and WOMX.

Now hear this. Former Midday Monster Bo Rhodes says that he is changing his lifestyle to accommodate his morning-show duties on 93.1 FM (WKRO). ``I won't be seen at 3 o'clock in the morning anymore,'' said Rhodes, whose excessive lifestyle contributed to his parting with WTKS. Is everything under control? ``Everybody that drinks always has to evaluate their drinking,'' Rhodes said. ``I evaluate what I've done and what I'm doing every time I do it.'' ...

Orlando's 102 Jamz - 101.9 FM (WJHM) - is among the nominees for urban station-of-the-year honors for large/medium markets, awards handed out by the industry trade magazine Gavin. Jamz's Russ Allen also is nominated for program director of the year in the same category. ...

Five bands will compete on Saturday to become the ``Official Traveling Oldies Band'' for Cool 100.3 FM (WSHE). The free concert starts at 1 p.m. at Gina's on the Water restaurant at Cranes Roost Park in Altamonte Springs. ...

The John Boy and Billy Big Show will be in Central Florida tonight for an autograph session and Molly Hatchet concert at the Adam's Mark in Daytona Beach. Mark Samansky, afternoon jock at 96.5 FM (WHTQ), will be jamming with the band. Things get started at 6 p.m.